Holding a contractor’s license in one state doesn’t necessarily give you the ability to do your work in any location, because different states have differing rules about the requirements that contractors need to meet. For example, if you have a license issued by the state of California, then you wouldn’t be able to complete a construction project in Nevada using your current California license.
Benefits of Obtaining Additional Licenses
Even though you can’t use the same license across state lines, there are benefits to getting the correct licenses so that you can perform work in multiple states. By obtaining additional licenses in nearby states, you can open up new opportunities to work on more job sites that previously weren’t available for you to consider.
By opening up the opportunities, you can expand your reach, make new connections in the industry, and grow your business to higher levels of success. Most construction business owners see the strong advantages of having the ability to work in multiple locations, because these additional projects help to improve the company and grow overall revenue.
How to Get a Trade Exam Waiver
Just because you are interested in getting a license in another state, doesn’t necessarily mean that you have to go through the trade exam process again. Since you’ve already gone through the trade exam in your home state, it is possible to get an exam waiver based on “trade reciprocity” shared by several states in the western US.
This trade reciprocity requires that you had a license in your home state for five out of the last seven years, and then you will be qualified for the trade exam waiver in participating states. Even though you can get a waiver for the trade exam, it is still required that you complete the law exam.
There is one exception to that rule in Arizona though, because they allow for the waiver if you have taken any type of licensing exam in the past five years OR if you have been licensed for more than five years.
Trade Reciprocity Participating States
The participating states in the Western US trade reciprocity agreement include California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada. If you have questions about the specific licensing requirements for contractors in a specific state, then the best thing that you can do is talk with an expert about the requirements for the area where you would like to work.
Here at Cal-State Contractors License Service, we know all about license requirements in various states, and our goal is to make it easy for you to get the licensing that you need. Whether you would like a trade exam waiver or you need help getting a license, we invite you to contact us today: 1-800-454-2776